The Cop and The Baby Mama
by starrysky7
Summary: When Lucy Mitchell and her son temporarily stay with her elderly grandmother, she meets a brilliant but incredibly immature detective.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Everything belongs to its rightful owner**

* * *

 **Chapter One** :

With the boxes piled in her arms, obscuring her vision, she balanced them on her lifted knee to fumble for the door handle. Just as she had managed to fit the key into the lock, the top box began to slide away from her. With only one free hand with which to stop it, she resigned herself to allowing it to fall to the ground. Luckily for her, a man rushed from the doorway up the hall to catch it in his arms.

"Thanks." She said, "Good catch."

"Well, I was the best on my little league team, so," he told her, eliciting a chuckle, "Are you just moving in?"

"Yeah." She said, "My grandmother needs some care, and she doesn't want to leave, so here I am."

"That's cool." He said, "Well, I'm Jake, I live down the hall," he told her, "So, if you ever need to borrow a cup of sugar, I'll be there."

"I'll keep that in mind." She nodded, "Ah, can you just carry that in for me?"

"Course." He said, before following her inside, "You didn't tell me your name."

"Lucy."

"Nice name." He said, "So, where do you want this?"

"It's full of plates." She said, setting down the other boxes on the kitchen counter

"So, where?"

"The kitchen." She answered, frowning slightly, but smiling nonetheless, shaking her head,"So, how long have you lived here?"

But the question was left hanging in the air, when a young boy raced into the room. He was tall for his age, with skin slightly darker than Lucy's light brown, black hair and dark brown eyes.

"Hey, mom," the kid called out, "Where's my Xbox?"

"No video games until we've unpacked." Lucy replied, "And come over here to meet our guest."

"This, is my son," she introduced, "Noah."

"Hey, I'm Jake." He waved, "How you doing?"

"Good." Noah said, turning to look up at her, "Is he your boyfriend?"

"Woah, there," Jake warned, "We just met. What kind of man do you think I am?"

"Are you saying you wouldn't date me?" Lucy asked, raising her eyebrow at him

"No. Yes. No." Jake stammered, "I mean, you're really pretty, and I'm sure you're great, but you could be a serial killer for all I now." He said, "Not, that that's what I'm saying." He continued, "I'll just stop."

"That's probably the best course of action." She agreed, smirking,

"Who's that?" An old woman called out, wandering in from the bedroom, "Oh, it's just that boy from next door."

"We know." Noah muttered, and Lucy lightly smacked his arm, frowning down at him

"Are you flirting with my granddaughter?"

"Of course not Mrs Mitchell." Jake said, "Maybe a little before, but not now." He continued, before sighing, "God, what is wrong with me today?"

"Shame," Brenda said, "She needs a man."

"Grandma." Lucy admonished, "Please. Not now."

"What?" Brenda asked, "You're too old to be single."

"You got married when you were seventeen." Lucy pointed out, "Things have changed."

"Your eggs will dry up and drop outta you." Brenda said, "Don't you want Noah to have some siblings."

"Oh my god. She's insane." Lucy muttered, turning back to Jake, surprised that he hadn't bolted, "I think there's another few boxes in the car, would you mind helping me bring them up?"

"Sure." He said, nodding towards her two family members, "It was lovely meeting you all."

Whilst on the lift down, she took the opportunity to admit the truth.

"I lied, there aren't any boxes." She revealed, "If I didn't get out of there I was going to murder my grandmother with a frying pan."

"Inventive." Jake applauded, "Steak knives are too cliché." He said, "Though, I feel like murdering someone in front of a cop wouldn't be the smartest move."

"You're a cop?"

"Yep." He proudly declared, "One of New York's Finest."

"So, I should probably throw out all the cocaine my grandmother hides under her bed to sell." She said, completely straight faced, "Just to be on the safe side."

"I'm not entirely sure if you're joking or not." He said, "But, I'm going to go with that you are, because it would be pretty stupid to admit that to me."

"Well, I haven't looked under her bed so I can't be sure that there isn't drugs under there." Lucy said, "And she'd be the perfect person, who'd suspect her?"

"I will now not be surprised if your grandmother gets caught selling drugs." He said, "So, how long are you living here?"

"Only two weeks." She said, stepping out of the elevator, "After that, either Grandma comes and lives with me, or goes into a nursing home."

"Sucks for her." He said, "I heard she's been living here for years."

"Moved in after all her kids grew up so she could downsize." Lucy explained, "I don't think she wants to leave because it has all her memories of my granddad."

"Why does she have to go?"

"She can barely look after herself these days," she said, "The only reason the apartment was clean is because I cleaned yesterday. It took me all day, and I found a thong stuffed underneath the couch cushions."

"Terrible mental image of your grandmother wearing a thong." He said, cringing, "It's awful."

"Yeah." Lucy said, "Anyway, I better go back up."

"Hey," Jake said, "I just want you to know I was only joking about the dating you thing." He said, "I mean, the not dating you, because you're really dateable, and what I'm actually trying to say, is do you want to grab a coffee with me?"

"That was a really long winded request."

"Yeah," he conceded, "I'm usually better at this."

"I would love to, but if I don't come back my grandmother will probably assume you've kidnapped and killed me, and call the cops." Lucy said, "Raincheck but."

"Definitely."

Once she returned to the apartment, her grandmother and son were quick to interrogate her. As if they expected anything to have happened in the five minutes they'd been gone.

"I like him." Noah said,

"You just met him." Lucy pointed out, but her son just shrugged

"Honey, you can't be picky about these things." Brenda said, "Otherwise you'll die alone like my Cousin Linda. She never married."

"Linda was a lesbian, so legally, she couldn't marry."

"Anyway," Brenda said, "I think this might be the one."

"You're all crazy." She muttered, shaking her head at her family

But she did find herself constantly thinking back to him, and she earnestly hoped that they would see each other again. After all, it wasn't that big of an apartment building, and he did live down the hall.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Everything belongs to its rightful owner**

* * *

 **Chapter Two** :

"Honey, you look great." Brenda said, "You'll definitely impress that boy on your date."

"It's not a date." Lucy defended, grabbing her coat from the chair, "It's just two adults, going to dinner."

"Whatever."

"Hey, baby, you be good for grandma." Lucy instructed her son, "Do as you're told."

"Sure mama." Noah nodded, "Have fun on your date."

"Not a date." She called out as she exited the apartment

But that didn't calm her nerves as she waited on the street. It didn't take long for Jake to pull up. Which she thought was strange, given that he didn't strike her as a particularly punctual person.

"Hey," he greeted, "You look great."

"Thanks, you too." She replied, as they pulled out from the kerb, "So, where are we going?"

"Uh, a restaurant."

"What one?"

"Um," he said, "One that sells food."

"You haven't made any concrete plans," she said, "Have you?"

"No." Jake admitted, "I had no idea where to take you, cause I'm a total cheapskate and I really want to impress you."

"What's your favourite restaurant?"

"Sal's Pizzeria, but it burned down." He told her, "How 'bout you?"

"Well, I can't say any of my favourite restaurants have been burned down," she said, "But there's a burger place up the road."

Once they had found a place to park, she led him towards the park, where people were lined up.

"A food van is your favourite restaurant?" Jake asked, "I expected some fancy pants place with $100 meals."

"My teenage boyfriend took me here on our first date," Lucy explained, "Which sounds strange to take you here," she admitted, "But the food was so great that I kept coming even after we broke up."

"Why'd you break up?"

"He moved away." She replied, "Which is probably also why I kept coming here, since I knew I'd never see him again, because that'd be awkward."

"What if he moved back to town?"

"I made friends with his cousin so I'd know if he did." She explained, "Which sounds really weird saying it loud."

"Not at all." Jake shrugged, "Okay, maybe just a little bit. But not the weirdest thing I've ever heard."

Once they had gotten their food, they took a seat at a free table, falling into easy chatter. The conversation flowed freely, with the laughter only stopping for a few seconds for her to catch her breath.

"So, if it's not too personal," Jake said, "And if it is, you don't have to answer, that's totally okay. Even though it'll continue to haunt me,"

"You want to know about Noah's father."

"Yeah," he admitted, "It's not too weird is it?"

"No, I expected the question to come around." Lucy assured him, "Aiden and I met in college, we got married young, had Noah. Divorced after five years."

"Five years, that's longer than any of my relationships." Jake admitted, "Why'd it end?"

"It's difficult to explain." Lucy admitted, "At the start we were great together, practically perfect for each other. And then we weren't." She explained, "We used to be able to talk for hours, and then we'd only speak if it was about Noah, or paying bills."

"It was completely amicable, there's no bad blood between us. The judge even commented that it was the most civil divorce he's ever seen." She said, "Which I was slightly disappointed about, because I've always wanted to have a dramatic courtroom battle."

"Everyone's dream." He agreed, "Do you have shared custody?"

"Yeah, we have a week on, week off." Lucy said, "He's remarried and has a kid. I do get a tad jealous when I see them all though." She said, "Well, not jealous envious."

"There's a difference?"

"Yeah, you're jealous when you're afraid someone will take what you have. But envy is when you want something someone else had." Lucy explained, "I don't want Aiden back, I'm just kind of disappointed that I'm still single." She said, "And that my mother constantly reminds me of it."

"You know, my grandmother called my mother to tell her about this date, and she practically squealed with joy." She said, "And praised Jesus that I wouldn't die alone."

"Well, I am a gift from God." Jake said, ever one for modesty, "So she wasn't wrong to pray about me."

"What about your family?" She asked, eager to learn how exactly his personality had come about

"Well, my dad left when I was kid, so it was just me and my mom."

"My mom and I." She muttered, waving it off when he asked what she'd said, "Nothing, continue."

"She worked a lot, so it got pretty lonely at times." He admitted, it what she sensed to be an odd moment of emotional vulnerability

"Things were never lonely growing up in my house, I have four younger siblings." She explained, "And sixteen cousins, most of which lived relatively close and were constantly around."

"Sixteen?"

"Mom's one of five, dad's one of three." Lucy shrugged, "Plus, Puerto Rican families are kinda big. I accidentally dated a second cousin for a month once."

"Is that even legal?"

"Yes actually, because there's absolutely no elevated risk in having children together." She said, "I just thought that the fact we wouldn't have to argue about whose family to see on holidays was way too weird." She explained, "Unfortunately, I now have to see him at family reunions."

"Was he weird about it?" Jake asked, and she nodded, "What he do? Publicly announce details of your sex life?"

"No, he just stared at my boobs a lot." She said, "He doesn't do it anymore because Aiden broke his nose. It's like doubled in size. He tells women that he happened when he stopped an old lady from being mugged."

"Well, that is infinitely cooler than the truth." He admitted, "What kinda girl would sleep with a guy who hits on his cousin at family reunion?"

Laughing, she took the final bite of her burger. It had turned out to be a very enjoyable date, and she found herself liking him more and more. She'd gone out on a limb when she agreed to come, but she was glad she took the risk.

"So, tell me about your job." Lucy said, "Any unsolved cases that continue to haunt you to this day, like all the cops I see on tv."

"There was this one case, I'd been tracking for six years." He said, "The Pontiac Bandit."

"I'm assuming he stole Pontiacs." She said, "Which is completely understandable, they are pretty nice cars."

"So, anyway, this guy got busted last month and in exchange for pardoning him, he'd said he'd give us the Pontiac Bandit." Jake explained, "The first meet up failed, so he went in alone, and escaped."

"He was the Pontiac Bandit." Lucy surmised, "You have to give him props for that. He kinda earned that escape, it was pretty impressive."

"Oh I was impressed," Jake replied, "Shamefully so, I'll admit."

"What you do anyway?" He asked, "I don't think you've told me yet."

"I used to be a part of the corporate world. I was a marketing director, but then I quit." She told him, "Now I own my own business."

"Really, what is it?"

"I organize people's houses and set up staging for when houses are going on sale." She explained, "I know it probably sounds strange, but I've always had a knack for organizing, and it gives me flexible hours."

"Well, I'd love to see you in action," he said, "If you wanna shout me a free session."

"I'm sure I could manage that."

They continued chatting for the next two hours, before eventually making their way back to the apartment building. Secretly, she was glad he only lived down the hall. It meant she got to spend more time with him.

Awkwardly, they stood in front of her front door, neither entirely sure how to go about saying goodbye.

"I had a lot of fun tonight." Lucy said, "I hope we can do it again sometime soon."

"Yes, I would definitely love to." He eagerly replied, before cringing at himself, "I mean, if my schedule allows it. Being a cop just takes up so much of my time."

"I'm sure it does." She chuckled, "I should probably go inside. I'm almost positive that Noah did not respect his agreed upon bed time."

"Yeah, course." He said, "Do we hug, handshake, salut each other?" He asked, "I'm not sure,"

But he was cut off when she pulled him down into a kiss. Once the shock wore off, which was pretty immediate, he began to return the kiss. It lasted longer than was appropriate for a goodnight kiss, and only ended when her front door was opened.

Pushing him away, she sheepishly looked towards where her grandmother and son stood, and she couldn't decide if they were ashamed or impressed. Or impressed but pretending to be ashamed.

"Well, uh," she said, backing through the doorway, "Goodnight Jake."

"Don't you want to invite him in?" Brenda asked

"No," she said, "He's already seen too much of your crazy. Anymore and it'll scare him away."

"Impossible." He scoffed, "I work in a police station, I see crazy all the time."

Despite being slightly concerned about the comparison between her grandmother and criminals, she practically beamed at him whilst closing the door in his face. Next, she had to deal with the bombardment of questions.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Everything belongs to its rightful owner**

* * *

 **Chapter Three** :

After a month of successful dating, Lucy finally felt confident enough to invite Jake over to her house. Despite having already had interactions with Noah, they had been brief, however positive they may have been, and she was nervous about them all spending an extended period of time together. She was really starting to like Jake, and it would be a shame if she had to cut things off because he didn't gel well with her son.

She'd spent the last hour making sure that everything was spotless. Not that she thought he'd care, it was more to calm her nerves. Of course, that could always scare him away. One guy had broken up with her because her meticulously organized cupboards had convinced him she was too uptight. This did, of course, happen during college. But she still wasn't over it. Once she had finished cleaning, she had forced herself to call her best friend, to stop herself from calling him and cancelling.

"How clean is the house?" Valerie asked

"Actually, it's practically a pigsty. The clothes are piled on the floor, the kitchen smells of three week old pizzas." She claimed, before conceding, "Alright. You know me too well. You could probably eat off my floor."

"Wow, you must really like this guy."

"It's really important to me that he gets on well with Noah." Lucy said, "That is basically the make-or-break in our relationship."

"Really, not the fact he has soda with his cereal." Valerie said, and Lucy regretted ever telling her that, "Listen, you like him, Noah will like him. Everything will be fine." She assured her, "Honestly, you should just be glad you're finally having some sex."

"Actually, we haven't done that yet."

"Why?"

"I don't know, we just haven't." Lucy shrugged, turning her head when she heard Noah announce Jake's arrival, "He's here, I gotta go."

"I'd say good luck, but you don't need it." Valerie said, "Bye."

After hanging up the phone, she rushed towards the door, slowing down as she reached it. Opening the door, she smiled brightly as she greeted him, inviting him inside.

"Wow, your house is amazing." Jake commented, his eyes scanning around the place, "The inside's even better than the outside."

"Thanks."

"Hey, Jake." Noah said

"Hey, there, little man," Jake replied, "How you doin'?"

"Good." Noah said, "Mom told me that your favourite movie's Die Hard, so I told her that's what we're gonna watch."

"Oh my God, I love this kid." Jake said, causing her to chuckle

"C'mon," she said, taking his hand to lead him into the living room

Noah and Jake each took their seats on the couch, as she set up the movie. Once everything was ready, she joined them, sitting down next to Jake. Whilst they had originally all been paying attention, her and Noah devolved into intently watching Jake recite every line, each in his own character impression.

"How many times have you seen this movie?" Lucy asked, as the credits began to roll

"More than I can most likely count to." Jake admitted, "It's the reason I wanted to become a cop."

"Childhood dream fuflifilled." Lucy said, "Way more realistic than mine. I wanted to become a singer after watching The Bodyguard."

"Well, if you ever became a singer I would happily be your bodyguard."

"You do know how the movie's right?"

"Sure."

"Then I'm glad you'd take a bullet for me and die." She said, "I have to warn you though, this isn't Romeo and Juliet, so I'll just mourn you and move on."

"But mama, he died for you," Noah said, "You have to stay faithful to his memory."

"Exactly," Jake agreed, "Honour my sacrifice by dying alone."

"You are a heartless bastard." She said, causing him to gasp

"You said a bad word."

"She swears in Spanish all the time." Noah pointed out

"I still hate my brothers for teaching you those words." She said, narrowing her eyes at the thought

"You continue to surprise me." Jake said, "So, what're we watching next?"

"I don't know," she said, "It's getting late."

"C'mon, one more," Noah begged, pulling out his best puppy dog eyes, "Please."

"Yeah, please." Jake said, joining in on the pleading looks

"Fine." She conceded, "One more."

"Yes." Jake celebrated, turning to Noah, "Die Hard 2?"

"Defintely."

This movie progressed much like the first did, but was still just as enjoyable, and she was genuinely disappointed when the credits started. Despite Noah's protests, he said his goodbyes, before heading upstairs to get ready for bed. Leaving Lucy to see Jake out.

"It was a really good night," she said, "Noah had lots of fun, and he really likes you."

"Really?" Jake asked, "God, I was so nervous."

"Seriously, you're a natural with him." She said, though she suspected that to be more from his own childish tendencies then parental skills

"Well, I'm glad I could impress you both."

"You really did." Lucy said, "Look, his dad's picking him up tomorrow morning, so I'll have the house to myself."

In that moment she was really glad her aunt had volunteered to house her grandmother. Because having Brenda around would have made things very difficult.

"Are you asking what I think you're asking?" He said, "Die Hard marathon without a bedtime?"

"I was thinking about sex," she clarified, "But we can totally do that too."

"Great, perfect evening." He said, reaching out to take her hand, pulling her closer, "With the perfect girl."

"How sweet of you." She said, pressing quick kiss to his lips, "But I have to go make sure Noah's in bed. Which I seriously doubt his is."

"So, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Looking forward to it."


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Everything belongs to its rightful owner**

* * *

 **Chapter Four** :

Things did not slow down between her and Jake over the next month. It was sometimes difficult to find time, given both their work schedules, but they made it work. That did not mean, however, that things were perfect.

"So, how are things going with the nark?" Valerie asked, as they sat beside each other on the couch, glasses of wine in hand

"I'm pretty sure only criminals can call a cop a nark." Lucy said, "Things are going well, but I think I'm entering that stage where the guy's flaws all jump out and smack in the face."

"I'm sure the red flags are imaginary." Valerie assured her, "You do have a habit of being over critical of men."

"He eats gummy bears for breakfast, his apartment looks like a frat house, and he writes like a five-year-old." Lucy listed, "Basically, I don't think he's ever gone through puberty."

"That is pretty bad." Valerie admitted, "But you've complained about these things before, so it's not new. Why is it a problem now?"

"Because I'm over thirty with a ten-year-old son. I don't have time, to waste time." She explained, "I'm looking for a potential partner and father for my son. He has to meet certain standards."

As terrible, and as vain, as it sounded, there were certain very apparent differences between them about very important things. She was a meticulous planner, he was carefree improviser. She was a saver, and he spent money he didn't have like he didn't care. There wasn't time for her to wait for him to grow up. It didn't matter how much she liked him, if he was just another child for her to look after.

"Like what, being a millionaire?" Valerie asked, "You're not gonna get that again."

"Like being adult with a stable life."

"He has a job." She pointed out, "Why are you so against him? A guy hasn't made you this happy in awhile. Don't self-sabotage this."

"I can't help it. You know I stress out about all the possibilities."

"That's why his laid back attitude fits you perfectly." Valerie said, "Opposites attract."

Before she could reply, they were interrupted by a knock on the door, causing her to push herself up onto her feet. She had to admit that they both had valid arguments. Jake did make her laugh, but sometimes she felt like she'd met Preschoolers with higher emotional intelligence. Everyone had their quirks and weird habits. Only time would tell if their quirks and habits meshed well, and she'd just have to risk waiting.

Of course, when you speak of the devil, he appears.

"Jake," she said, "What are you doing here?"

"I need to talk to you, about something with my work." He replied, "This, is kinda hard."

"Did you get fired? Did you get shot?" She asked, "Did you get reassigned to Staten Island? Because I'm not following you there."

"No, I'm going undercover." He said, "I'm helping to take down a crime family."

"How long will this be?" She asked, trying to mask her dissapointment, "Weeks, months, years?"

"Six months." He said, "And, I know that's a long time, so, I won't ask you to wait,"

"But if I do?" She asked, "Do we just, see what happens when you get back?"

"Yeah, I guess." Jake said, attempting and failing to hide his smile, "I'm sorry, I'm just really happy you said that. But, there's no pressure, if you meet someone else."

"Thanks, I guess." She said, "Um, do you want to go and tell Noah? He's upstairs."

"Probably should."

Following him, she waited outside, listening intently to the conversation between him and Noah. She was just glad that they'd only known each other for two months. He could dissapoint her, but not her son. Though, she'd be lying if she claimed that she wouldn't miss him.

"He seemed to take it well." Jake said, joining her in the hallway, "Made me promise to come back with awesome stories. Which I of course, will."

"That's good." She said, "I'll walk you out."

Awkwardness passed over them as they made their way outside. Neither knew entirely what to say. They are hardly in a committed relationship, but there was also hardly nothing between them.

"So, I guess this is goodbye." Lucy said, crossing her arms, her gaze towards the ground,

"Nah," he said, "More like a, see you later."

"Then I'll see you in six months." She said, barely masking the sadness, "Don't be late."

"Would you like a romantic not goodbye but see you later kiss?"

"Absolutely."

The kiss was hurried, full of everything they felt but hadn't said. Pulling him closer, she wrapped her arms around his neck, his hand cupping her cheek. They backed up against the wall, and it was only when she let out a small moan did she realise her son and best friend were still in the house.

"That's going to have to hold you up for six months." She said, her hands on his chest, "Because we're not having a quickie on my front lawn."

"Yeah, that probably wouldn't end well. Grass everywhere." He agreed, "But I also really don't want to leave."

"If you don't go now I'll probably end up handcuffing you."

"If it's to your bed, then definitely." He nodded, "If it's to you, then I don't know how I feel about going to the toilet in front of someone I've only known for two months."

"I've seen you eat mayonnaise straight outta a jar," she said, "Nothing else you could do could possibly gross me out."

"And I love you for that." He responded, obviously without really thinking because his eyes widened when he realised what he said

"You love me?"

"Yes. No. Maybe. I'm not even sure what I'm saying anymore." Jake rambled, letting out a sigh before continuing, "I do. I was thinking about it a lot on the way over, and I love you. And it's not because I'm about to go away. But I do." He said, backing down the steps, "Anyway, I should probably go now."

"Well then, I'll see you in six months," she called out, grinning at him, "Loverboy."

Stepping back into the house, she couldn't wipe the smile off of her face. She wasn't claiming to reciprocate his feelings, but she knew she was well on her way to the border of love territory. But now he was gone. And she had six months to regret not saying it back.

"So," Valerie said, holding out the wine glass to her, "He's leaving."

"He loves me."

"Yeah, but he's leaving."

"Yeah, but he loves me."


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Everything belongs to its rightful owner**

* * *

 **Chapter Five** :

 _Six Months Later_

For the first month that Jake had been gone, she obsessed over their last moments together, replaying the moment he told her he loved her. In the second month, she started going through their old text messages, realising that they'd been apart just as long as they'd been together. Anger came in the third month, and she spent many a night drunkenly ranting to Valerie about the unfairness of life. With the fourth month came clarity, and then resignation in the fifth. But now the sixth month approached, and she found herself questioning her course of action. Of course, that was assuming that he actually showed up. He could've just forgotten about her entirely.

Never did she expect to hear an infrequent tapping at the window in the hallway. And she was furious when she stormed outside to see Jake tossing rocks at her house.

"What are you doing?" She demanded, "Are you trying to cause damage to my house?"

"I thought it'd be romantic and cool." He said, "But now that I think about it though, I probably should have just knocked at your door."

"You think."

Nothing much had changed about him, or her for that matter besides the fact her hair had grown longer. She supposed that six months may have been too short a time for any physical changes to occur, but his personality seemed to be completely unchanged. Not that everyone would consider that to be a good thing.

Perhaps it was this stagnancy that angered her the most. It was almost like nothing had happened. And she didn't want to forget him leaving.

"You know, you can't just come back here and start throwing rocks at my window like we're in romcom." Lucy said, finding herself suddenly shouting, moving towards him like a predator does to its prey, "Especially not when you told me you loved me and then left. Which I did enjoy, but was totally unfair of you." She continued, "I spent two months obsessing over you, two months hating you, and the next getting over you. And, what I'm really trying to say," she said, her voice calming down as she stood in front of him, "Is that God I missed you."

"I missed you too." Jake replied, no longer looking like he was bracing for impact, "And I'm sorry." He said, causing her to unfold her arms, "Can we talk?"

Nodding, he followed her inside the house and into the kitchen. He took a seat at the counter, whilst she poured them both drinks. Alcohol of course, because she needed a drink after his sudden reappearance, and she was very glad that Noah was at his father's. That gave her some time to figure things out before involving him, and meant she could get shit-faced drunk without worrying about parental responsibilities.

"So, now that the screaming and shouting's over," she said, taking the seat beside him, "Spill. I want all the details."

It probably was not even close to what he had wanted to discuss, but it was a way for her to diffuse the situation and put off confronting the elephant in the room. Which she was sure he appreciated, considering his discomfort with emotions.

"After six long months we finally busted them." Jake said, "It was at one of the mobster's wedding. I gave the signal, and they came crashing in. It was very The Sopranos."

"At wedding," she said, "That's really cold."

"I know. I even gave a really heartfelt speech."

"That's it, I should just punch you in the dick right now." Lucy jokingly threatened, "You're practically a monster." She said, "So, how exactly did you get them to win your trust?"

"Did some illegal jobs, fixed a boxing match, sang karaoke with them," he rattled off, "The usual."

"What song?"

"Piano Man."

"Ah, who knew mobster's liked Billy Joel."

Both the conversation and the drinks flowed well into the night, the latter definitely influencing the former. Which perhaps was not a good thing. Especially when she admitted to just how much she missed him, he told her how he'd never regretted telling her that he loved her, and suddenly they were naked in bed together. Quite the turn of events. But, if she thought about it, not completely unexpected.

Things were slightly awkward when she awoke the next morning, not entirely sure what to say or do. What do you do when you have sex with your ex who just got back from a six month undercover stint when he told you that he loved before leaving but now you're not sure what either of you feel? High-five. Shake hands. The first seemed too immature, but the latter too mature.

"Good morning." He greeted, walking into the kitchen, "So, we had sex."

"That we did."

"And," he said, "Was it, good?"

"Did you seriously just ask for feedback?"

"You're right, that's weird, just ignore that question." He said, "What I meant, was, what does it mean?"

The fact that he was the one asking that completely took her off guard. She had expected herself to be the one to bring up the determining of their relationship. Maybe six months in the mob had somehow made him more mature. If only that was a fix for every man.

"It means, that obviously neither of us are over the other." Lucy said, "And, I think maybe we should just, see where things go."

"Pick up where we left off, or start again?"

"I think we were too far to start again," she said, "But not far enough, and were apart for too long to pick up."

"So, meet in the middle?"

"Sounds good." Lucy said, "Just, take things slow."

In reality, it was as far from what she wanted as humanly possible. But there was more than just her to think about. Jake had already left once before, and she couldn't put Noah through him leaving again. She couldn't put herself through that. All she could do was to wait and see how things turned out, and hope that things turned out well. Of course, the idea that things were not only out of her control, but that the future was unclear, was agonizing to her.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: Everything belongs to its rightful owner**

* * *

 **Chapter Six** :

Taking things slow didn't really pan out the way that she hoped. If anything, they sped up. He started staying over more frequently, until he'd practically lived at her house for a week, and was even leaving his dirty clothes on her bedroom floor. Her annoyance at his messy habits did convince him to stack her dishwasher, and actually close the toilet lid.

But as enjoyable as domestic bliss was, it wasn't to last.

And now she was knocking on his front door, psyching herself up for the conversation she was about to have. Positive self talk was everything after all.

"Lucy," Jake greeted, "What're you doing here?"

"We need to talk." She said, inwardly swearing at how ominous that sounded, "Can I come in?"

"Sure." Jake said, looking at her with concern as she stepped into the apartment

"You should probably sit down for this." She suggested, anxiously rubbing her hands together

"I think I'll stand." Jake replied, "Are you breaking up with me? Because I thought we were going really well." He said, "Is this because I left the milk out and it went sour?"

It was a tad insulting that he thought she'd break up with him over such a trivial matter. But then she remembered her commitment issues, and his use of humour to avoid emotions, and it made sense.

"I'm pregnant." Lucy suddenly revealed, "I'm pregnant. We're pregnant." She said, "Please sit down you look like you might faint."

Saying it out loud suddenly made it seem all the more real. It wasn't a just a figment of her imagination, and it was no longer a thought that could be pushed to the back of her mind. It was actually happening.

"So, there's like, an actual baby," he said, "Inside of you."

"Yes. You put it there." She replied, "Are you, okay, with that?"

"I don't know. I don't think it's processed yet." He admitted, "We're having a baby. How did this happen?"

"I'm gonna assume you don't need me to explain the intricacies of impregnation."

"I meant, how did this happen?" He repeated, "You're on birth control."

"It's not always 100% effective, and accidents happened." She quickly responded, "You're not mad are you?"

The vulnerability in her voice was something she despised. Having to wonder and desperately hope for a positive reaction from him was far from enjoyable. Relying on others was not something she was accustomed to. Her stubborn independence having been a factor in her divorce, and the failure of other relationships. Of course, this was only a mask to hide her inability to trust and discomfort with not having control over the situation.

"No, of course not." Jake assured her, stepping closer to her, "This is a good thing. Right?"

The uncertainty in his own voice was almost a comfort to her. It reminded her that he was just as nervous as her. Maybe even moreso, considering she at least was already an experienced parent.

"Yeah. Yeah." She nodded, perhaps too vigorously, "I mean, I do want more kids. I just, I imagined I would've been with the father longer, married preferably, living together, stable."

"Do you want to get married?"

"No." Lucy quickly replied, "I mean, not yet, and definitely not only because I'm pregnant." She explained, "That'll just create problems."

"So, what do we do?"

"Well, I've booked an appointment at the doctor's," she told him, "So we can probably start there."

"Oh, so you don't even know for sure if you're pregnant." He said, perhaps a bit too hopefully

"Trust me, I know." She said, "I'm three weeks late, I've been nauseous, my boobs are sore, and all four tests said positive."

"Yeah, that seems pretty sure." He agreed, "But, what happens with us?" He asked, "Do we just keep dating?"

"For now, yes." Lucy answered, "We can work towards you moving in with me."

"Why would I move in with you?" He asked, "Why don't you move in with me?"

"Because I own a very nice house, with the mortgage already paid off." She pointed out, "And we're not cramming you, me, Noah and a baby in this studio apartment."

"Those are very valid points." Jake conceded, "But are you okay with this?" He asked, "Stop making plans, and tell me if this is what you want."

"It's not ideal, I won't deny that." Lucy admitted, crossing her arms over her chest, "And, I'm scared that we're not gonna work, or you'll leave, and I don't want to do this alone, I can't do this on my own, I mean I'm sure I could but I really don't want you to leave,"

"Hey, hey," Jake interrupted, reaching out to hold her arms, "I'm not going anywhere, everything's going to be fine." He promised her, "And even if it wasn't, it doesn't matter, because you're an amazing mother, and this kid will be lucky to have you."

"I really needed to hear that."

"I know you did." He replied, moving his hands up to cup her cheeks, "We're having a baby."

"We're having a baby."

It was actually happening. Her and Jake would become parents in nine months time. And she wasn't sure if the prospect should excite her, or terrify her.

* * *

( **Originally I wasn't going to include this, but I thought I'd throw it in as an extra** )

The wait in the doctor's office was exhaustively long, and terribly awkward. Another couple had asked them personal questions, albeit in a well-meaning way. That, of course, wasn't the issue. The issue was their judgemental looks at the answer to those questions. Many others would feel self-conscious or embarrassed, but Lucy was hardly one to allow someone else to question her life choices. Or more accurately, mistakes.

Luckily for the other woman, the doctor called them just before Lucy was about to start ranting.

Now she was laid back against the chair, legs up with the doctor between them, staring at the monitor. She was clutching onto Jake's hand, just as she had been for most of the day in her attempt to assure him of the importance of his presence.

"Where is it?" Jake asked, squinting at the screen, "It's all grey."

"You see that circle shape, that's the amniotic sack," the doctor explained, "And the little flicker inside it, that's your baby's heartbeat."

"Oh yeah, I can see it now." Jake replied, "That's awesome." He said, looking down at her as he grinned, "That's our baby."

"It is." Lucy nodded, turning back to the doctor, "How far along do you think I am?"

"Based on the embryo and the date of your last cycle, I'd say 7 weeks." The doctor told her, "Your due date is, May 22nd."

"Solid day." Jake commented, "Really has a ring to it."

"Well, most babies aren't actually born on their due date." Lucy said, "Noah came two weeks early."

"Which means you'll have an elevated risk for this pregnancy." The doctor said, "Which is why I'll want to see you more regularly leading up to the end. But," he said, getting up from his chair, "We can talk about that later. If that's all your questions, I'll see you in a few weeks."

It wasn't too long before they had returned to the car, on their way back to her house. They had yet to tell Noah, but they had planned to do so that afternoon when Aiden dropped him off. There was no rush for them to tell their friends, even though she knew Jake was busting to publicly announce the news. But first, their family had to be informed, a thought which terrified her considering they hadn't even met each other's family yet.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: Everything belongs to its rightful owner**

* * *

 **Chapter Seven** :

Circling the dining room table, she checked every setting, ensuring that each place was perfect. Everything for dinner had been pre-prepared, the exact moment for revealing the pregnancy already decided, nothing had been left to chance. But even with both her and Jake giving each other the rundown on what to say and what not to say, she couldn't stop all the possibilities from running through her mind.

"We shouldn't have done this," she said, "We should've just told them separately."

"Hey, we're killing two birds with one stone." He said, "How bad can it be?"

"What if we kill all the birds in the bird house, and then it catches on fire?"

"Okay, I think you took the analogy a bit too far." He said, "Seriously, what are you so worried about?"

"Of course you're not worried, based on what you've told me about your mother she'll be ecstatic." Lucy said, "I'm worried about what my parents will say, or do."

"What's the worst they could do?"

"I don't know, Jake. I'm just, stressed out about this whole thing." She said, as if it wasn't already obvious, "My parents are accepting and want me to be happy, but they had a specific idea for how my life would turn out. And let's just say, this isn't it."

"Pregnant, or with me?"

"Jake," she said, the sound of the doorbell causing her heart to jump from her chest

Grabbing onto his hand as he brushed past her, she gave it a squeeze, "We're in this together," she told him, "I swear it."

And it was the truth. No matter what happened tonight, Lucy was intent on being on Jake's side, even if that meant backing him against her parents. Especially then. It would be a lie to say she wasn't worried about their reaction, but they'd just have to accept Jake and the situation.

They reached the door together, and just as she expected, it was her parents who arrived first. Not that Jake's mother was late, they were just early.

Richard was a tall and imposing man, broad chested with medium brown skin, his shaved head hiding the grey, and brown eyes that had great capacity for warmth. When he wanted them to show it. Ana Sofia was of average height, but looked short standing next to her husband, with caramel skin, dark hair and the hazel eyes she shared with her daughter.

"Mom, dad, this is Jake," she introduced, "Jake, these are my parents."

"It's very nice to meet you." Jake said, shaking her father's hand and hugging her mother

They stepped inside, her mother heading into the kitchen to put the bottle of wine in the fridge. And no doubt to also check on her cooking.

"Was your father trying to crush my hand?" Jake whispered to her, a pained smile on his face

"Probably." She honestly answered, "Don't worry, I won't let him crush any of your body parts."

"That would be a comfort," he said, "If it didn't sound so disturbing."

"Yeah, I realised that as soon as I said it."

Almost immediately as she turned to close the door, another car pulled into the driveway. Jake's mother was quick to make her way to the door. This time there was no hand crushing, and once introductions were over, they moved into the dining room, Ana taking it upon herself to pour the wine.

"Lucy told us you liked red wine," she said to Karen, "Over ice right?"

"Just like Diane Keaton."

"Really, didn't know that." Ana said, turning towards her daughter, "Do you remember when you and Mia would duet that song when she visited from college because it was the last movie you saw together before she left?"

"Yeah it was great, such a shame we're terrible singers though." Lucy said, "Nick of course had to ruin the fun. And then I caught that hypocrite singing it in the shower."

"And then you turned off the hot water while he was still in there."

"I will never forget the sound of his shrieks." Lucy said, smiling fondly at the memory,

"Are these your siblings?" Karen asked

Lucy opened her mouth to respond, but her mother cut her off, ever eager to talk about her children.

"Lucy's one of five." Ana said, "There's Mia, Matt, then Lucy, Nick and Diego." She explained, "Do you have any other children?"

"No," Karen said, "It was always just Jake and I."

"Why was that?" Richard suddenly asked

"Dad."

"Richard."

Lucy and her mother scolded in unison. He knew perfectly well what the reason was, and Lucy had specifically warned him off the topic.

"It's okay," Karen assured her, "Roger cheated on me, and left us."

"I'm sorry for that." Ana said, earnestly

"Well, at least she didn't do what your mother did." Lucy said, in an attempt to divide the situation, "Nobody found out that Grandpa had cheated on Grandma, until she spent fifteen minutes at his wake listing every single complaint she had ever had about him. Including his premature ejaculation, which disgusted everyone." She told them, "One of my cousins filmed it, you can see it on Youtube if you want."

"Why would they want to see that?" Ana asked

"Why wouldn't you want to see that?"

"I know, I for one, would want to see it." Jake said, and she could see him inwardly kick himself when he saw the puzzled looks her and her mother gave him, whilst Karen and Richard looked on disapprovingly, though the latter was far sterner

"Why don't we all sit down." Lucy instructed

Richard and Ana took their seats on one side of the table, Jake and Karen on the other, with her at the head. Unfortunately, her father had deliberately taken the seat opposite Jake, giving him the perfect opportunity to make him uncomfortable for the entire night.

"So, Jake," Ana said, "Lucy tells us you're a cop."

"Yes." He nodded, "I'm a detective at the 99th precinct."

"And do you like your job?" Richard asked

"Best job in the world." Jake said, "I mean, who doesn't want to solve crime and look cool doing it."

"Criminals." Lucy said, "They'd prefer to commit crime and look cool doing it."

"True, true."

Things were far from as bad as she expected, with even her father loosening up quite quickly. Of course, they were yet to reveal the entire purpose for the evening. But she pushed that aside, excusing herself and Jake to go and finish getting dinner ready. Not that Jake would really be doing anything, she just needed to get him alone.

"I think things are going great." He said, "With how worried you were I was expecting much worse."

"Well, we still haven't told them yet," she pointed out, "We'll re-evaluate after that."

"Told us what?" Richard asked, suddenly appearing in the doorway

"That," Jake said, searching around for an excuse, "We're very happy together."

"For a cop you're not very good at lying." Richard said, "What are you keeping secret?"

"Nothing," Lucy said

"You were obviously planning on telling us," he said, "So why not now?"

"We didn't want it to be in such a confrontational manner." Lucy defensively replied, "But if you insist, which you obviously are, on not letting it go, then fine," she said, "I'm pregnant."

It was far from how she wanted to announce it, but he seemed to be taking it well. He hadn't attacked Jake yet. But there was still time for that.

"Did I hear that right?" Ana said, pushing past her husband, Karen following behind, "Are you two having a baby?"

Nodding her head, she was instantly relieved by the pure joy on both of their mother's faces. Knowing that at least they were pleased by the news was enough to numb her father's stony silence. Which he maintained as they all hugged, her and Jake eagerly accepting their congratulations. Only when his wife called his name, did he finally speak.

"I'm going to assume by the length of your relationship that this wasn't planned," he noted, hitting a real sore spot with her even though she knew it was true. Turning to look at Jake, he continued, "But I can see that you care about my daughter."

"I really, really do." Jake assured him,

"So, how far along are you?" Ana asked

"Eight weeks."

"Oh, I'm so happy for you two." Karen said, "I was so worried that Jake would never settle down."

"I was so worried about her too," Ana said, "I thought she'd never find another man."

"Mom! Please." She said, stopping them before her mother could embarrass her further, even if it was bonding for the two women

Most of the conversation for the rest of the night was centered around the pregnancy, with all three women swapping stories, with Richard joining in on the tales every so often. The only one who didn't seem to be enjoying themselves, was Jake, though he made a good show of it.

Once they'd all said goodbye, Ana and Karen organizing to meet up again soon, their parents left. Leaving her free to investigate the source of her boyfriend's discomfort.

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong?"

"What, something wrong," he scoffed, "You must be reading this entire situation wrong."

"I'm pretty sure I'm not." She said, "Come on, I told you we were in this together. And that includes unloading our problems onto each other."

"Just worrying about whether or not your dad likes me." He replied, "He's, really intimidating."

"The fact that you're still standing here means that he likes you," she said, even though she knew that wasn't the real reason, "At the very least he approves of you."

"Are you sure?" He asked, "Because my hand still hurts from the handshake."

"Positive."


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: Everything belongs to its rightful owner**

* * *

 **Chapter Eight** :

Tapping her fingers on the container, watching the screen indicate the elevator rising through the levels. Immediately after getting in, she thought about getting out. Not due to regret, but more nerves. She'd never met any of Jake's colleagues. Which had been his decision, as he thought there'd be no way he would be able to keep their secret.

As the doors to the elevator opened, she found herself dodging a lettuce thrown her way. A completely normal event when one enters a police station.

"Is this a regular occurrence here?" She asked, "Because if it is, I want to work here."

"It pretty much is." Jake replied, "What are you doing here?"

"Since you have to work I thought I'd drop some food on my way to my parents." She explained,

"You made me food."

"I made too much food," she clarified, "And thought I'd give you the extras."

"You made me food."

"I made you food."

"And who's this?" A man said, stepping forward

"Charles, this is Lucy," Jake introduced, "Lucy, this is Charles."

"Ah, so you're Lucy." Charles said, "Jake's told me tons about you."

"I'm just going to assume it's all good stuff."

"Of course." Charles replied, lifting his bag up, "If you two will excuse me, I'm going to go home and stuff my face."

Swinging his back around, a package came tumbling out onto the floor. Normally she'd think nothing of it, if it wasn't for the white powder spilling out, and the panicked expression on the two men's faces

"Charles, what is that?" Jake asked, "What is that powder?"

"I don't." Charles said, hurriedly, "What do we do?"

Turns out following proper protocol resulted a hazmat team arriving, and the entire level being placed under quarantine. Her plan for a short stop definitely wasn't going so well, and now she was sitting down on the lounge in the captain's office. Jake having instructed her to stay their for safety.

Usually, she wouldn't have enjoyed being told what to do. But the situation was possibly dire enough to require it, especially given her precarious state.

"I've got some bad news," Jake said, walking into the room, "It's not baking powder."

"Then what is it?"

"They don't know." He admitted, "It'll take a few hours for them to find out. So you'll have to wait here until then."

"That's fine." She said, even though she was kind of disappointed about missing out on Thanksgiving with her family, "I do have to go to the toilet though."

"Okay, it's,"

"I know where it is." She interrupted, walking out of the room without explaining how exactly she knew the location

Once she had emptied her bladder, and received a call from her rather concerned sister, she returned to the office where everyone was now gathered.

"Santiago, Diaz, I want you out there with me keeping morale up," Jake ordered, "Boyle, go through the security footage to find out who left the package."

"Oh, well, since you're in charge I thought I could be your right hand man," Charles suggested, "Your Tinkerbell."

"Tinkerbell?" Rosa mockingly questioned

"Let me tell you something about Tinkerbell," Charles said defensively, "She was a loyal lieutenant, and a real thorn in the side of Captain Hook."

"Don't forget the fact that she sacrificed herself to save Peter Pan." Lucy pointed out, "That might come in handy if this Anthrax."

"Done, you're my number two." Jake agreed, turning towards her, "Where were you?"

"Bathroom. Then my sister called, wondering where I was," she explained, "Since I'm usually so punctual."

"And why are you with Jake?" Amy asked

"Because I'm amazing." Jake replied, "Did you tell her why you're stuck here?"

"Not the details because I didn't want her to tell my mother who would then freak out." Lucy said, "And then we were interrupted by one of the kids throwing mash potato on another."

"Why would they waste perfectly good mash potato?" Charles asked

"Because it's every kid's dream to have a food fight." She shrugged, "And my sister-in-law made it, and she's not the best cook. So it definitely was not, perfectly good."

The others left to fulfill their various duties, and not wanting to sit around doing nothing, she put the food she'd brought in the fridge for safe-keeping. And then took it upon herself to re-organize the shelves. Which probably seemed anal retentative, but as much as she was pretending to be nonchalant, she was actually rather concerned about the situation. And when she was nervous, she worked out her anxieties by organizing her environment.

Of course, her efforts were made almost immediately redundant when Jake announced that they'd be eating. Which she didn't even get to enjoy, because the Chinese takeaway food had her rushing off to the bathroom to save herself the embarrassment of vomiting of the precinct floor.

"Hello there," Charles greeted, as she exited the bathroom, "Just wanted to make sure everything was okay."

"Yeah, why wouldn't they be?" She shrugged, "Do you smell Mongolian lamb?"

"I just ate some," Charles replied, "Pretty good sense of smell you have there."

"Yeah," she nodded, "If you'll excuse me."

Backing into the bathroom, the contents of her stomach and the toilet made an acquintance for the third time that day.

Once her nausea had settled down, which she prayed it would do permanently, she ventured back out into the precinct. Immediately she regretted it, as she found herself caught between a frantic Gina and unsympathetic Rosa.

"Does it not disappoint you that the last person you'll ever sleep with is Jake?" Gina asked

"No." Lucy answered, unsure about how to react to such a question, "And he won't be." She said in an attempt to be reassuring, but had to backtrack when she realised the possible interpretation of her words, "I mean, he might be, but we're not gonna find that out today because nobody's dying."

The melodrama of Gina was pretty easily handled, and actually slightly entertaining. The increasingly irate crowd on the other hand, were not so easily contained. Demands for heat were acquised, but then they demanded more food, which Jake had rather foolishly not rationed. Which, of course, drew the ire of a particularly painful lawyer. Who's issues were clearly not resolved by his conversation with Jake, when he exited the captain' office to climb up into a chair.

"Hey, everyone, they lied to us." He declared, "It's Anthrax."

And with that, the crowd erupted into frantic and uncontrollable noise. But she was going to control it, through her sheer imposing will.

Lifting her fingers up, she placed them in the corners of her mouth, using them to let out a loud whistle. This was enough to capture everyone's attention.

"Alright! Nobody's dying here. Everything's fine. And you all better hush up and stay calm." She bellowed, "Or else."

This apparently was not enough for the lawyer, who wanted to incite further chaos by picking up the megaphone. Snatching it away from him, she grabbed onto his coat, bringing his face down closer to hers.

"And that's enough from you." She menacingly ordered, pointing her finger in his face as she glared

Basically strutting back to the others, the level of satisfaction she felt for herself was only raised when she saw Jake's proud grin.

"I am so turned on by you right now." Jake told her, clearly not caring that his colleagues were standing right beside them

"You better think of something to pull them into line," she advised, focusing back on the situation at hand, "Because that's not going to last very long."

And her prediction turned out to be incredibly accurate, when the silence lasted all of about five seconds. Seriously, mob mentality meant that people had the attention span of children. Her intimidation had a longer lasting impact on animals then these people.

The dissatisfaction only served to worsen Jake's mood, causing him to skulk into the break room like a dog with his ears pulled back. Which is actually cute, and a terrible analogy since she found nothing cute about his disappointment.

Thus, it fell to her to step up.

"Can you please go and talk to him?" Lucy asked, "He needs to get his butt kicked into gear, and I'd do it, but I'm trying to stop Gina from spreading panic to the mob."

"That's good, we don't need to incite a riot." Amy agreed, "But, why do you want me to do it?"

"Because Charles is a Yes-Man and Rosa's not sympathetic enough." She reasoned, "Also, you seem like the most responsible person here."

"Aw, thank you."

The joy in that statement, had Lucy doubting the validity of hers. But she had no time to wonder on Amy's maturity. Not when she had to prevent Gina from announcing the arrival of the apocalypse.

"What do we do about her?" Rosa asked, "She's really getting on my nerves."

"We need to distract her," Lucy said, "Take her mind off of it."

"Great idea." Rosa replied, leaning around Lucy, "Hey, Gina, wanna have a go on my nunchucks?"

"I said distract her, not have her accidentally beat herself up." She said, "I've used them, and that shit hurts. Apparently I was actually pretty good at it though, so I hypothesized that at least half of being good with them is just not reacting when you hit yourself."

"You didn't react when you hit yourself?" Gina asked, "What kind of animal are you?"

"They were my brother's now ex-girlfriend, and I wanted to spite that bitch." She explained, "It was more pride than mental fortitude."

Whatever Amy said to Jake it definitely had the desired effect, considering he strode out of the break room looking like he had a new lease on life.

"Alright guys," he called out, causing everyone to gather around, "Listen up."

"Yeah guys," Charles echoed, "Listen up."

"Charles, you're not my number two any more."

"What?" Charles asked indignantly, "What did you say to him Amy? You've been after my job this whole time."

"It's not Amy." Jake replied, "I don't need a Tinkerbell, I need you to find out where the white powder came from." He ordered, "Scully, I need you to help Boyle," - to which Scully attempted to protest to be pointing at his friend still trapped outside - "Don't worry about Hitchcook, I once saw him fall down three flights of stairs, get up and eat his hotdog like nothing happened."

Such a statement left her scrunching her face, caught somewhere between being impressed, and confused.

"You're right," Scully conceded, "He's the strongest man we know."

"No." Jake retorted, now turning towards them, "Gina, I know you're scared, but you gotta stop freaking out the civilians."

"Yes," she agreed, "I am very influential."

"And Diaz, you need to stop making fun of Gina, and help Lucy help her."

"Oh, shout out." Lucy muttered, grinning in pride. Jake was really stepping up, and it definitely eased some of her concerns about him as a parent. Not all of them, there were still plenty.

"Okay everyone, listen up." Jake called out, "I know this is tough, but we still don't know what that powder is and we may be here for awhile yet. Also, the copy room is now a detention centre for anyone who gets out of line. This is a police station and a lockdown, not a summer camp." He said, before turning to whisper to Amy, "Ooh, should we play capture the flag?"

"Jake." She warned

"Right." He said, turning back, "Stay tuned for more details. That's it for now."

As he neared her, she nodded in approval, knowing that he would very much appreciate her praise. He was just as worried about their situation as she was. The pregnancy, not the possible Anthrax. Though she was sure that concerned him too.

"How'd I do?" He asked

"Absolutely amazing, and find you really sexy when you exercise your authority." She said, "If this wasn't a crisis, we'd totally be making out in a storage room right now."

"Wow. We really shouldn't visit each other's workplace." He said, "We just can't stop ourselves from finding the other attractive."

"I thought you were gonna say that because the first time I visited we were put into quarantine, and that we're now jinxed." She said, "But yours was better."

"I know." He said, and she shook her as she chuckled at him, "How are you doing? Do you need anything?"

"I'm fine." She assured him, "It's actually kinda nice getting to know your friends."

"They're all total weirdos, don't judge me on them." He joked, "And thanks for getting Amy to come talk to me. I appreciate it."

"Well, you know I love to appreciate you." She shrugged, "That came out really weird, but you know what I mean."

"You know I do."

Wrapped up in their own conversation, the failed to notice the others huddled together watching them intently.

"Does anyone else think that there's something going on with Lucy?" Charles asked

"Yeah, how she's great but she's with Jake." Rosa said, "That's pretty weird."

"That's not what I mean."

"I did find her throwing up in the bathroom." Amy said, "She said the Chinese food was bad."

"But she didn't eat anything." Charles said, "And she threw up again after smelling the food I'd just eaten."

"She could just have a stomach bug." Rosa suggested

"Or," Charles said, "She's pregnant."

"No way," Amy said, "I mean, she doesn't look it, and, it'd be impossible for Jake to keep that a secret from us."

"It would explain why she lowered her standards for him." Gina said, "Just saying."

"We have to do more investigating." Charles said, "As well as dealing with the current situation, but investigating is priority number one."

"I've got an idea." Amy excitedly announced, proudly walking off, "So," she said, sidling up to Lucy, who was now standing by herself, "You know any good sushi places?"

"Yeah," Lucy shrugged, "There's one near my house, I go there with my sister. Why?"

"Just wondering." Amy shrugged, rushing off to the others, "She can't be pregnant, I asked about a sushi restaurant and she said she goes there all the time."

"She could just be lying." Rosa suggested

"Or she means past tense." Charles countered, "So far, the evidence definitely weighs in favour of our theory."

"Your theory." Rosa corrected, "I'm taking no part in this."

"Well, I'm off to find out if Jake's having a baby, as well as who dropped off the package," Charles said, "I'll announce any new developments."

The newfound inspiration of the team had the case solved much quicker then predicted, which was a definite surprise for who she assumed to be Holt and Terry when they arrived back. This was then confirmed when Jake introduced her just as she was planning to leave.

"Ah, before you go," Amy said, rushing closer, "There's just something we wanted to ask."

"We?" Gina asked, "This was all Amy."

"It was not."

"Was so?"

"What did you want to ask?" Lucy interrupted, already suspecting their suspicions

"They think your pregnant." Rosa stated, "Are you?"

"What," Jake said, in a horribly high pitched voice that obviously indicated a lie, "No."

"Yes." Lucy answered, shrugging when Jake raised his eyebrows at her, "I'm twelve weeks, we can tell people now." She said, "I'd commend you on figuring it out, but I did vomit like three time while we were here."

"Three?" Jake asked, "In a few hours."

"The Chinese food got me twice." Lucy explained, "And the first time was when I was sitting at your desk. I swear something's died in one of those draws."

"Probably." Jake agreed, "Well, I feel relieved everyone knows. It was really hard keeping that a secret."

"So, how long have you guys been together?" Terry asked

"Twelve weeks."

"But there was those two months before I went undercover." Jake added, acting as if that added two years

"Ah, I'm so happy for you two." Charles practically squeeled. Actually there was no practically, he literally squeeled with joy. "This is the best day of my life."

"Well, thanks." She said, slightly concerned by that declaration, but putting it aside for Jake's sake. Besides, she knew enough to see that Charles was both well-meaning and harmless

The others all offered their congratulations, with Charles continuing to over-step the line with his weird comments, but she shrugged it off. That wasn't to say she didn't miss the shock and concern on their faces. It wasn't a planned scenario, but Jake was really stepping up.

"Hey," she said to him, once they were alone, "Since Holt's back, I was wondering if you wanted to come with me to my parents?"

"Babe, you know I hate Thanksgiving."

"Yeah, but that was because you spent it alone," she said, reaching out to take his hands in hers, "Now you don't have to."

"Well, do you want me to meet your whole family?" He asked, "I know, I've met your parents, but this is everyone."

"Babe, we're having a kid together." She pointed out, "You'll have to meet them eventually."


End file.
